Odisha Panchayat Polls: Snatching Of Ballot Box & Papers Among Sporadic Violent Incidents

Bhubaneswar: Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from different places of the state during the panchayat elections on Wednesday.

According to sources, while the voting was going on at Kashijharia village of Chapamanik panchayat under Brahmagiri block of Puri district, a voter snatched the ballot box from booth number 9 and ran out of booth to the campus wall. He threw the ballot box over the wall where some miscreants picked it up and fled.

Confirming the incident, presiding officer Kamrool Hussain Khan told the media that Brahmagiri police have been informed about the incident. They have started investigation to identify the miscreants.

Khan suspected the role of some youths of the village in the incident as they had earlier told him to allow two villagers to be present during the polling. But he had turned down their request.

In another incident in the district on the day, a young voter tore up the ballot paper in a polling station. Sources said while the polling was going on at booth number 10 at Denagaon village of Gadasahi panchayat under Kanas block, the youth came along with his mother to cast vote. But he tore up the ballot paper in presence of election officials.

On being informed by Kanas BDO Lochan Das, police have detained the youth in the police station. Das said the voter has not revealed why he resorted to the act.

“It has not been confirmed whether he tore up the ballot paper deliberately or out of ignorance. Action will be taken against him as per law following investigation,” the BDO said.

In the third incident in Jajpur district, some miscreants snatched away ballot papers from a polling booth. The incident took place at booth number 1 in the Anganwadi centre of Durgapur village under Sujanpur panchayat.

As the polling was going on peacefully, the miscreants forcibly entered the booth, snatched the ballot papers and ransacked the place.

Following the incident, the polling has been stopped and additional police force deployed in the area. Out of total 418 voters for the booth, 160 had already cast their votes when the incident took place.